Defenders Lodge

Providing free lodging for Veterans and their families

Since its inception, the Defenders Lodge has provided nearly $50M of free lodging for Veterans and their families undergoing outpatient care at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center in California. This first of its kind facility offers 52 rooms and 104 beds to all eligible veterans and their caregivers, cost-free.

A public-private partnership of the Department of Veterans Affairs, PenFed Credit Union, and the PenFed Foundation, it was founded to help meet the needs of the thousands of Veterans who travel each year to Palo Alto for medical care.